Tuesday, July 20, 2010

2003 jdorama that stars another of my favorite OLDER actors, Sorimachi Takashi as Furiya Enzo, a guy with a rowdy past who ends up taking care of his four, younger siblings (all from different fathers but the same, late actress mother) after an infant left on his doorstep compels him to want to grow up, become responsible, and create a family for his illegit daughter whose mother's identity he has no clue.

Yamauchi Nana as Furiya Nanami is as adorable as they come in the Asian child actor department.

She is the illegitimate child born to Enzo and an unknown but obvious one-night stand from back in his glory days as a biker gang member.

Nanami has dermatitis in its worst form, thus prompting the changed Enzo to go overboard in his efforts to protect and help cure his daughter's irritating illness.

He's become an expert of sorts in the healthy foods category, and every night at every meal, he proceeds to lecture the family about the benefits of everything he has placed before them.

He's also a clean freak who nags his siblings about their slovenly ways and forces them to help out so that Nanami can lead as normal a life as possible while having to avoid everything from dust mites to animal fur in order not to have a break-out.

Enzo teaches Art at a local high school, where he meets the school's nutritionist and nurse, whom he has a secret affinity for but whom he is too self-absorbed to initiate any type of a relationship with.

Enzo lives for his daughter the way that a mother lives for her child, yet unlike the housewife who disappears from societies watchful eye after giving birth, Enzo is looked at as not only a hero, but a great friend, a drinking buddy, a go-to guy at work, and a potential lover by all the starry-eyed females that surround him.

The Saito twins star as Enzo's younger, twin brothers who each have opposite personalities and contribute in unlikely ways to the success of the parent-less household.

One is shiftless and unprepared while the other is studious and dutiful in the hopes of gaining some of the recognition his hapless twin constantly receives not only by Enzo but also by their biological father as well.

Each episode takes you on another, interesting and believable journey through their lives and keeps you rooting for them start to finish.